to the ends of the world
by asdawnbreaks
Summary: Jane Foster has been set to marry another man, and Thor is outraged and hurt. He returns to Midgard to find himself and to try to distract himself from memories of Jane. But with war on the horizon, what will Thor do to protect those he loves? Will he be able to protect them all? Post-Avengers.
1. An Idea

Just a little story I've been thinking of. It's set shortly after the Avengers movie, and it has some aspects of the comics and of the movies. Send me any suggestions and feedback because I love it :)

* * *

It was his paradise, his oasis among the desert, the one place he could find solace when the pressure became too much for his mighty shoulders to bear. He wasn't sure if there was another soul in Asgard who knew of it or if his loyal citizens just respected his privacy, but the small, calm brook was always deserted when he came, regardless of the time. There wasn't much that was special about this place and Thor wasn't sure why he'd always come here through his confusion and doubt, but he did.

He had stumbled upon it chasing Loki and Lady Sif through the mountainous terrain of Asgard as a teenager, his horse automatically finding the cool water of the brook while Thor explored. It was a tiny clearing, with the brook emptying into a larger, but shallow, pool. Even as a teenager, the beauty of it had rendered him speechless—speechless enough to seek it out a week later when Odin had told him that he was betrothed to Lady Sif, who had been a childhood friend.

But that had changed when he'd been sent to Earth, which was part of why he had sought this refuge today. The news had been startling, to say the least. It had started as a normal trip to Earth—one that he took every month or so—to check in with S.H.I.E.L.D and the rest of the Avengers. The trips had started soon after the New York "incident" as Stark called it, and they all made sure they migrated back to Stark Tower every so often just to check in. Thor looked forward to the visits with his Midgardian friends; they delighted him in more ways than his Asgardian friends did.

In fact, the Asgardians had almost started to bore him, but most things did whenever he found a new toy or some new information. He had been that way since he was young—fascinated with the world around him…until he found something new to be fascinated with. It was an attribute that had served him well as a warrior, working endlessly with one weapon until he had mastered it, then moving on to another.

Thor's Earth friends had started to fascinate him more and more. They had shown him 'modern' technology, clothes, entertainment, and most importantly, food. He worked with Stark and Banner, testing out different weapons and armors for S.H.I.E.L.D., trained with Hawkeye and Natasha, and spent time with Steve, learning the ways of the new world around them. Each visit they taught him something new and each visit lasted longer than the one before. The memories of his most recent visit made his oasis seem even brighter, even happier, in spite of the news.

He wasn't sure why he had expected a different result, he pondered, watching the waters dance across stones and pebbles at his feet. The New York Incident had ended nearly eight months ago, and he hadn't been to Earth before that in nearly a year, so why did he think the likely result to be impossible?

He closed his eyes, trying to shut out all the thoughts that were swimming in his head—it was why he had come here, to escape. He had sought to escape Earth because he wouldn't stand them all to think him weak over the issue, but they all did. Somehow the news had travelled to Asgard and all of his citizens gave him space too. There were whispers, pitiful and sad glances, and ragged attempts to please him with the things that used to please him…but he would have none of it.

The sun had started to set over the tree line of the mountains in the distance, and although he didn't want to, he knew it was time to face the music, to perform his duties to Asgard as best he could. But he knew his place was no longer primarily here. It was too painful now, too hard to walk the halls of his home, to see the mountains in the distance, to see his mother sit on his father's right hand side…because that was the life he had envisioned for them.

His most recent trip to New York had ended a week ago and Thor found himself desperately wishing he had stayed just a while longer, but he had needed to get away, to find some form of comfort in his isolation, and he knew he could only find that in this small clearing in Asgard.

He had been toying with a contraption that Stark had called a "cellular telephone," and its use had led him to the internal debate he had every time he came to Midgard—to go to her or wait. He didn't know what he had been waiting on or why he had decided to wait at all, but he had.

But it was Natasha who came into Thor's room at Stark Tower with the envelope in her hand. Thor hadn't even looked up at first, assuming she had once again come to help his mental battle, and he had greeted her like always: "Hello Natasha."

"Hello, Thor," she had meekly replied. Thor had looked up with concern with why his friend was so emotional, but she had just handed him the envelope.

"What is this?" He had asked her.

Thor smiled at his clearing as he remembered that she had just shrugged and motioned for him to open it. He still had the envelope in his pocket, and he retrieved it to look at the words again.

'You are formally invited to the wedding of Jane Foster and Keith Kincaid,' the words were plain on the page.

"What is this?" Thor had asked Natasha. "A Midgardian 'wedding?'"

Natasha had smiled meekly again, clearly not wanting to tell him. "Jane's in love, Thor."

The news had hit him like a ton of bricks, and reading the words again still put the pit in his stomach. Jane Foster had fallen in love with another man and Thor was too late—not only was he too late, but the only way to stop it would be by hurting Jane, and he loved her far too much to do that.

He got up from his spot on the rocks, picked up Mjolnir and started walking back for the feast tonight that was to celebrate his return. He didn't feel like celebrating, but he supposed he needed to talk to his mother for her advice on his return to Midgard. Normally Loki was the one he went to for advice, but he was at some lockdown prison far in a different realm, only Odin knew his exact location.

When he arrived back the feast had started without him. He smirked and rolled his eyes at the Asgardians and their love of fine food. He elected to go back to his room rather than the banquet hall, not failing to notice his mother sitting on his bed. "My son," she smiled.

"You have read my mind," Thor commented.

Frigga laughed, "You question my ability to know my son? I knew you would come to look for me."

"How did you learn of Jane?"

Her smile vanished and she dropped her gaze from his, "The soldier you have spoken of, he sent word of what had happened. He was worried for you."

So Steve had told them, Thor thought. It figured, because Steve was always worried about the rest of the Avengers. "What should I do?"

"You have a few options," Frigga answered. "You can return to Midgard, fight for her and plead your love, but you would risk ruining her true love and turning her against you forever, and spend the rest of your life pining for her. You could stay here and surround yourself with beautiful women, forgetting that Jane Foster ever existed, you would probably be happy, Thor."

She paused, sighing. "But what _I_ think you should do is return to Midgard, but do not seek out Jane. Asgard has started to bore you, my son, I can see that. Without Loki at your side, Asgard is no longer fascinating or adventurous. But in Midgard, you have so many friends to teach you so many things. Embrace them, learn from them, consume yourself so much in knowledge that you do not have time to think of Jane Foster."

"But what of my duties to Asgard, to the throne?"

Frigga smiled, "Your father understands, my son. You will return when you are ready, we know that it is useless to try to make you forget about that woman while you are here."

Thor nodded, it was impossible to see all the beauties of Asgard without imagining Jane beside him, "You are right, mother. I will return to Midgard in a week and there I will forget about Jane Foster."

Frigga smiled and stood up, kissing her son's forehead before turning to walk out of the room. She turned back to look at him before shutting the door, and Frigga couldn't be sure, but she thought that she had seen a smile play at her son's lips for the first time since he had come home.

* * *

"You cannot go back!" Lady Sif yelled across the throne room. "You only just got here!"

Thor had to fight hard to roll his eyes at her. Although time _did_ pass slower on Asgard than it did on Earth, he knew that wasn't what she meant. He had told everyone of his plans, leaving Sif for last because he knew that she would be angry with him at the decision.

Sif hated Midgard, especially Jane Foster, and had told Thor of her feelings more than once. Although she had tolerated his visits to Earth for S.H.I.E.L.D. purposes, she knew he was only going to get his mind off Jane, and it infuriated her.

"I'm going back, I came here to inform you of it, not to bargain with you," Thor replied. "I think it would be best for me to engulf myself in something new—"

"There are plenty of _new_ things we can do on Asgard!" Sif shouted at him.

Thor was starting to get angry, and he could feel the pull of Mjolnir from his room. The hammer could feel his thoughts and it knew that a fight was brewing if Thor didn't keep his temper under control.

"My friend, don't you remember how we completed every task and venture that Asgard had to offer as children? We were so concerned with the absolute certainty of our ruling as adults that we swore we would everything as children. Do you not remember?

Sif threw her hands up knowing Thor was right, "How can I stop you?"

Thor shook his head and crossed his arms, "It is simple, my friend, you can't."

She crossed the room to him, a pleading look in her eyes, her tone softened, "I know that once you go there, you will never come back."

Thor extended his arms, saying nothing, because there was nothing he could say. He held his closest childhood friend tight, because he knew that she was right—he did not plan on returning to Asgard again unless he had a distinct purpose. So instead of rebuttal, Thor settled with, "I wish I were able to stay."

"What will you do if you find that you cannot stay?" Sif whispered.

Thor grimaced, knowing she could not see him. If he could not find a way to stay on Earth, or if his own memories of Jane Foster would not allow him, he would fulfill his father's wish: return to the realm of Asgard and marry Lady Sif.

Sif looked up at him and Thor smiled, "Then I will complete my destiny as your lover across the millennia. But, I must try this first. It is unwise to try to give my heart to you unless it belongs to me first." It was a lie, and Thor knew that. He had no intentions of ever coming back to marry Sif, but he also knew that she would not let him leave unless he lied to her.

She smiled and stood on her tiptoes to kiss Thor's cheek. "Be safe then," she said, and left the banquet room.

She knew that he would come back—she probably knew it before he himself did. She had always been able to anticipate his every thought, his every move, but this one she had not been able to perceive. She had loved Thor since they were children and she had always been sure that he loved her too, until he met Jane Foster. She could still remember the day he had told her of Jane and how she had immediately hated her. For a while she had told herself that it was because Thor was a demigod and Jane was mortal, but she eventually realized that it was because her love for Thor was growing.

But when Loki had been banished and Thor was again sent to Earth to save it, he returned without Jane. Sif wasn't quite sure what it had meant, because surely if Thor loved her, he would have brought her back? It had puzzled the people of Asgard, and Odin had declared that Thor would marry Sif instead of the mortal Jane. It had made her heart spin to know she would one day be at Thor's right hand side, ruling all of Asgard until they became old with age, but Thor wasn't ready for that reality yet.

If this trip to Midgard was what he needed, then Sif would stand tall, proud, and accepting—just like a wife and lover should be. And when he returned, he would take his rightful place at her side, completely forgetting he had ever met Jane Foster.


	2. Similar Situation

The picture had really started to show its years, but whether that was due to actual age or that he was looking at it more and more these days, Steve wasn't sure. But the news of Jane marrying another man had made Steve worry about his friend, and that caused him to wish he could speak to Peggy again, because surely she would know what to do or what to say.

But he didn't have a time machine, so he settled for Natasha instead. Even if he couldn't get any solid advice, she would train with him and it would make him feel better about sending word through an agent to Asgard. Pepper had suggested the idea in case Thor's family noticed him acting weird, but Steve hadn't been entirely okay with going behind Thor's back. But after seeing how depressed Thor was, he had decided it was for the best and made sure word went back to Odin.

He put away Peggy's picture, in its fire and waterproof bag, tucked inside the nearly indestructible safe that Tony had ordered for him. "Nearly everything you own is an antique," Tony had argued, "we should preserve it the right way." The two had their scuffles, and even though Steve still felt like punching Tony in the jaw sometimes, he was the closest thing Steve had to a brother, same with Clint and Natasha, even though they weren't around as much. The two of them were still official S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, so they were occasionally sent on missions. Doing what exactly, Steve didn't know and he didn't really care to ask. Orders were orders, regardless if they were morally right or not.

Once his workout gear was on, he headed downstairs to the exercise floor, which was basically the floor Tony had put away for the Avengers so they could work out, box, get more familiar with weapons, or practice with the ones they had. The "gym" area, as they called it, was big enough and reinforced with the same material that made up Steve's shield, so that even Dr. Banner could let loose without causing any damage. This is where Steve figured Natasha and/or Clint would be.

And he was right.

He could hear the two going at it in an extreme form of kickboxing, with only Clint's bow and an unloaded gun for help. Natasha had been furious that she wasn't up to snuff without a gun, and had been working tirelessly with Clint—the only one who would fight her—until she could easily defend herself without any bullets. Clint had also realized he was under-managed without arrows, so the partnership worked out nicely.

He opened the door and sat down on a bench; just watching the two of them fight. It was almost like poetry in motion, possibly the most beautiful thing Steve had ever seen. It was nearly impossible for the two of them to simulate _real_ combat, because they anticipated each other's moves and thoughts. It made them great partners—they had proved that to Steve during the New York incident and who knows how many times before—but terrible training partners. Although she had asked him more than once, Steve could never train against Natasha, it went against his 1940s beliefs of hitting a woman.

When they finally finished, both breathless and red-faced, Steve started to clap, "Really putting it on each other, what's the occasion?"

Natasha laughed, "Maybe you and I could go a couple rounds, Cap."

"No ma'am, you know I couldn't fight you," Steve said.

Clint smiled at Natasha while putting up his bow, his most prized possession, "What brings you down today, Cap?"

"I'm still worried about Thor," Steve replied. "What if he doesn't come back to New York? That would really hurt the Avengers."

Clint shook his head at the statement, "No way, Steve. Haven't you seen him when Tasha shows him all the new stuff in the world? He looks like a kid at Christmas. He'll get bored with Asgard and come back."

Natasha rolled her eyes at him, "I'm with you, Steve, I don't think he'll come back either. Asgard was the one place he never took her. He might come back for missions, but that's iffy."

"I'd honestly expect him any day," Clint smirked. Steve wasn't sure if he meant it or not because messing with Natasha was Clint's favorite hobby.

Natasha cut him a glare and Steve couldn't help but laugh, "So do you really think he'll come back?"

Clint shrugged, "Hard to say. But doesn't time pass differently up there?" Steve nodded. "So it's been a week here and like a month there? He'll come back to visit soon, I'm sure. We can ask him about his plans later."

The two of them packed up, inviting Steve to some sushi place Natasha had heard about, but Steve declined—he didn't want to intrude on their time alone—he always felt out of place and awkward.

Steve had decided a couple weeks ago that he really liked having Thor around. When Thor was on Asgard, Steve was left as the only person who didn't know what "wifi" was or why it was so important or how to work caller ID. It was nice to have someone else in the room that didn't have a clue about what the rest of the world was talking about.

The Avengers had all taken turns teaching Steve and Thor some of the basics of the 21st century: history, art, literature, entertainment, fashion, slang, technology, and piece by piece Steve was starting to understand. Thor was having a harder time understanding, and Steve attributed that to having a completely different world thrust upon him.

While Thor favored technology and war histories, Steve's favorite part of his "modern" lessons was the entertainment. It had been a lot to take in at first, especially the switch from black and white to color televisions, and then again animations to real-life shows, from Disney's fairytales to real-life sitcoms about modern families. It had been a lot to take in, but he was managing it. Having Thor around to talk about the newest things they had learned was always one of Steve's favorite parts—he didn't quite feel like anybody else would share his excitement over getting the toaster to work the way Thor did (and no one else could handle their liquor the way he and Thor did when they celebrated afterward).

As Steve took the elevator to the S.H.I.E.L.D. floor of Stark Tower, he found himself wishing that Thor would come back, and soon. Not only could he have someone to talk to about the changing world around them, but it would also be nice to finally open up about Peggy and the pain of losing her to someone who would actually understand. He had spoken to Natasha and Tony about it a few times, but Tony always had a way out of the pain and Steve couldn't really handle hearing it. Natasha had lost quite a few people in her life, but she had never really lost a lover, so she wasn't very good to talk to either.

The elevators opened and Steve found himself in a whirlwind mess of papers, people, shouting phone conversations, and angry yelling at computers. But there was one voice he could hear louder than all the others: the voice of Pepper Potts. "What do you _mean_ you have no idea what's going on? Don't you ever look at the news?! Everyone is going _nuts_ over this and I don't know what to tell anyone because you don't communicate!" She paused, listening to the response on the other end, "Well you know what, Tony, you and Fury can come _here_, to New York and _you_ can deal with him!" She slammed the receiver down angrily, snapping at the office to get back to work.

Steven walked over to her office, knocking gently on the door. When she looked up, she smiled weakly, and he asked, "What's going on, Miss Potts?"

"Captain, how many times must I tell you that my name is Pepper?"

Steve smiled, his manners always got the best of him, "At least one more time, ma'am." She smiled again and looked down at her paperwork on her desk before burying her head in her hands. "Care to tell me what's going on?"

She smiled, "I guess I should tell you all eventually." She motioned for him to wait and picked up the receiver on her phone. She pressed one button and said, "Would all members of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents who are clearance level 5 and up please report to the conference room immediately, thank you." She put the receiver down and turned to Steve, "Follow me please," and they headed across the hall to Tony's office to wait for everyone else.

"Am I even authorized to be here?" Steve asked.

Pepper nodded, "Clearance level 5 is basically all the members of the Avengers, me, Dr. Selvig if he's here, Agent Hill, and Agent Coulson was. It's no one unfamiliar."

The silence fell easily between them and Pepper sat behind Tony's desk in the conference room, getting papers together for the important meeting. Within minutes, Dr. Banner, Clint, Natasha, and Agent Hill filed in the office with faces of panic. Apparently, Steve thought, meetings of this kind are usually a bad thing.

"What's going on?" Banner asked Pepper. "Where's Fury? And Stark?"

Pepper smiled, holding up one finger and pressing a button on Tony's desk. A large screen pulled down from a corner of the room, revealing a divided screen with Tony on one side and Director Fury on the other. "Hey guys," Tony greeted them. "Please, have a seat."

Six took a seat at the conference table, leaving Pepper standing so she could explain what was going on. She picked up a remote, pressing another button and another screen pulled down from the opposite corner of the room so everyone could see it. This screen was covered with CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC, all covering the same type of what they called an "alien transmission."

Pepper let them watch the news casts for a few minutes before clicking her mute button and clearing her throat. "Now, it appears as if something has happened and we haven't all been told," she began. "So let me clear the air. Yesterday, we received something we thought was impossible: a transmission from Asgard. Thor has sent us word in their Asgardian language that he will be coming back—Selvig decrypted it within a few hours. We are still trying to figure out how this was possible, since before we had to send actual _people_ back and forth, but now we can send transmissions."

"So why does the Federal government know about it?" Clint interrupted.

Pepper nodded and motioned to Tony's half of the screen. Tony cleared his throat, "It was first picked up by S.H.I.E.L.D. operatives in NASA, but the guy was so excited for his first alien transmission that he failed to ask S.H.I.E.L.D. if it was okay."

Steve saw Pepper roll her eyes, "Tell them what _really_ happened, please."

Tony smirked, "Okay, I was at a promotion party and I didn't have my phone with me. The man _did_ get so excited that he didn't wait for our approval before going public with the transmission."

"The good news," Fury continued, "is that no one except Selvig, Loki, Thor, and the other Asgardians know how to translate it, so the government will still see it as a regular transmission from space. We are going to send one of our own over to mis-translate it and lead the Feds to a dead end."

"So where do we come in?" Natasha snapped.

Fury smiled, "Well Agent Romanoff, he said he would be landing in New York, but we obviously can't have him land here where people can see with all this hysteria going on. You will be intercepting him in Asgard and you are going tonight."

"Who?" Steve asked.

"Well, Cap, me, you, Clint and Romanoff are going," Tony said.

Pepper snorted, "Are we sure that's a good idea? Tony will end up offending someone and get another galactic war started."

"Good point," Fury said. "In that case, Banner, you will take Stark's place." Banner nodded. "You will leave in 3 hours, go get ready. Meeting adjourned." The screens went off, and the group dispersed.

"What would one even bring to pick up an Asgardian prince from home?" Banner asked the group.

Pepper laughed, "Wear your uniforms, guys. Except you, Banner. Normal clothes will do."

Steve walked back to the elevator and clicked the floor with his suite, glad that Thor was coming back to New York, even if it meant someone else to be puzzled at the glowing lights in the elevator.

* * *

Thor's bags were packed for an extended vacation. He had a mixture of his warrior clothes in case an emergency happened, New York clothes in case he wanted to walk around, clothes to sleep in, and clothes to go to the beach in. The beach was one of the few things Earth had that Asgard did not, and it fascinated Thor, he had the idea to go to the beach at least once every few days while in Midgard.

His goodbye feast was set for that night, and Thor was sure it would be a merry one, drinking goodbye to friends that Thor knew he would probably never see again. Odin started the feast with a mighty speech, commemorating Thor on all his accomplishments and recognizing his right to rule if he wanted the option. The feast began with the finest food Asgard had to offer, primarily all of Thor's favorite dishes.

When every dish had been cleared and several kegs of mead had been drained, Odin announced, "Let the dancing begin!" and the band struck up with music.

Odin and Frigga led the dancing to a dance that Thor knew well. Sif had been seated at his right, which Thor knew was the traditional position of a royal wife. He thought he might as well, so he turned to Sif, "May I have this dance?" She blushed, nodding and giving Thor her hand to lead her on the dance floor.

There was drinking, laughter, and more than once did Thor dance with Lady Sif. She was happy, as if she had finally accepted that he was leaving, but whether that was because she had come to terms with it or because she thought he was coming back, Thor didn't ask. Her acceptance of his decision was really enough for him.

And then a great crash was heard outside the banquet hall. Every head turned toward the door and the band stopped playing. Thor put himself in front of Sif, determined to protect her from whatever the threat was. But when nothing happened passed the door, every eye turned to Odin. The Allfather turned to two guards and motioned for them to open the doors.

The crowd between Thor and the banquet doors was thick, so he didn't understand the gasps and screams at whatever the doors held. He took Sif's hand and pushed through the crowd, almost not believing what he saw when he got there.

The soldier, Miss Romanoff, the archer, and Dr. Banner were standing in the banquet hall of Asgard. Thor felt Sif's hand tighten on his own, and he looked down to see her glaring at the four outsiders. Captain Rogers waved to Thor, while Miss Romanoff addressed him directly, "Thor, we've come to escort you back to New York."


	3. Enemy

"My friends," Thor began. "It is terrific that you have come to Asgard, but I assume that you are here because of something important?"

He had settled them in a meeting hall that his father used for war declarations and matters of state. He could tell that the large chairs were rather uncomfortable for his friends, judging by the fidgeting and wide glances, but he did not plan on keeping them here long. It was mainly because the feast was still being enjoyed in the banquet hall, but partially because he loved the excuse of getting to go back to New York early—if possible. Whatever they had come to collect me for, Thor thought, it must be important.

Lady Sif, however, did not see it that way. In Asgard, Thor was a prince, but more importantly, he was a warrior. It was one thing for a prince to be escorted to a foreign place, but not a warrior—_never _ a warrior. Thor knew that the fact that the Midgardians could even _try_ to say that he could not handle himself was an insult to him, to her, and to Asgard. When the group had not answered Thor's question, she shrilled, "Why have you come where you have not been summoned?"

"There is a situation," Natasha said. Lady Sif rolled her eyes, and Thor could tell it was from annoyance with someone she believed to be below her rank. It was a look he had been familiar with as kids, seeing her inflict it upon friends they had found throughout the kingdom. Sif had always been a woman of rank, who believed that rank was more important than nearly everything in life. Thor knew that although his friends had all introduced themselves politely to her, Sif had not found need to remember their names.

"If you had come back to Stark Tower, our space program would have found you and taken you away," Natasha continued, "that's why we came, to try to steer you in a different direction so you could land safely."

Thor nodded, "Where will we be heading then?"

"Upstate New York," Captain Rogers answered. "From there we can use a bus or a car to ride back to Stark Tower, but for now the focus is to not magically appear in New York City. So we came to collect you."

"He is a Prince and a warrior of Asgard," Sif began. "Do you not see the insults you bring by showing up to 'collect' the future king of Asgard?"

"Would you rather have an insulted, but alive future king or would you rather expose him and let our authorities keep him?" Natasha snapped.

Lady Sif looked at Thor for some defense, but there was none to give. Thor could plainly see Natasha's reasoning, but he also knew the way Asgard worked—pride was more important than death. If Thor had been caught by the Midgardian authorities, the people of Asgard would have sang about his heroic warrior's death for many years. The humility of the people was one thing Thor deeply appreciated about his trips to Midgard.

"Are you not going to address her insults to me?" Sif asked him.

He shook his head, "My friend, she does not mean to insult you any more than you have insulted her. I know that you believe they have offended me by coming to retrieve me, but this is not the case—they have done me a favor, potentially saving me." He hesitated before continuing, "These are also my friends, and they should be treated like friends of the crown."

Sif glared at Thor, and he knew he had hit a nerve. He turned to the rest of the group who were simply staring at him, unsure of what to do. The silence hung for a few seconds, before Captain Rogers asked if Thor were ready to go. He opened his mouth to tell his friends they could stay, drink mead, eat some of the finest food in Asgard, but then he remembered the feast and that his time with his friends would not be spent alone, so he nodded. Lady Sif threw up her hands and left the room to go to the training hall, Thor presumed.

He walked out of the meeting hall and led the group to his room of the palace. It was slow going, because the party wanted to stop and stare at the Asgardian architecture, to which Thor played a little tour guide, explaining what wings were added by which king and in what year. More than once Clint added that he "wanted the exact same thing in his future home," and Natasha gasped at the beauty of a room or detail.

It made Thor smile to see his friends so easily impressed with his home, but it again bothered him to not have Jane with him. He had always envisioned the Avengers visiting Asgard—but for a marriage, not to collect him—and showing them the entire kingdom with Jane at his side. But it didn't really matter now; he was going to forget her, and that was what he planned on doing.

He grabbed his bags and walked them to the banquet hall, opening the door to find the room completely empty, except for Lady Sif, who had her sword drawn crouching in one corner of the room, with her face completely covered in fear. Thor spun around the room, searching for the threat, and reaching his hand out to call Mjolnir. Within two seconds, the mighty hammer had found through the rooms to reach him, and once again he searched for the threat.

When he looked over his shoulder, Captain Rogers had his shield drawn, Clint with his bow, and Natasha had a gun raised, all looking for the threat. Lady Sif was still crouching down, completely paralyzed with fear so much that she hadn't even screamed or noticed them come into the hall. Thor ran to her, "Sif, Sif, I am here! What has happened?" he said, over and over.

It took her a few moments, but she realized where she was, and who Thor was. "It—they… they came," she squeaked out.

"They?" Natasha asked. "Who are 'they'?"

Sif looked up at Thor, "The Ones Who Wait in Shadow. They were here, Thor."

"Start from the beginning," Dr. Banner told Sif. "Tell us what happened from the moment you left the meeting hall."

Whether she had finally come back to her senses, or if she could focus better with a defined task in front of her, Thor wasn't sure, but Dr. Banner's request seemed to snap Sif back to her warrior self, and soon she spilled her tale.

"I walked to the banquet hall to try to find the All-Father and the Queen," Sif began, "but I noticed that it was completely quiet. I saw the clock across the hall and realized that it was later than I had thought and that everyone must have gone home. When I opened the doors and saw that the hall was clean, I was sure that the feast was over and everyone had retired for the night. And then he beckoned me."

Sif started to cry, and Thor realized she was done talking and too traumatized to say much more, so he picked her up and called a servant from the next room to take her and put her to bed. He motioned to the rest of their group that it was time to return to New York.

"Thor, aren't you going to tell us what the hell happened?" Clint asked him.

Thor nodded, "Not here. I will tell all of the Avengers when we get back to New York, because it will take all of us."

"Take all of us to do what?" Natasha asked.

Thor sighed, looking into Natasha's eyes and seeing only fear. "It will take us all to defeat the Ones who wait in Shadow, I will explain more when we arrive back to New York, now can we please hurry?"

* * *

Pepper was, yet again, on the phone. "Tony, this is serious," she kept repeating, over and over. She sat at the desk in the wide conference room, tapping her impatient foot against the floor. Director Fury, Thor, Dr. Banner, Steve, Natasha, Agent Hill, and Clint sat around the table. The only person missing was Tony Stark, who was arguing that his current meeting in Brooklyn was more important than whatever threat Thor was informing them of at Stark Tower.

"Pepper, if I can't close this deal, we can't get the expansion on the clean energy bill we've been trying to get," Tony explained over the speakerphone. "Can't you just give me the packet afterward and I'll study it myself?"

"I'm afraid it doesn't work that way, my iron friend," Thor spoke up. "I am afraid that I can only accurately explain The Ones Who Wait In Shadow if I am in person."

Tony sighed, and Thor could almost hear the sarcasm through the speaker, "On a scale of one to the New York Incident," Tony began, "how big of a threat are these shadow people?"

Thor thought for a moment, trying to gauge the weight of the Chitauri against the Ones Who Wait In Shadow. "My friend, they will not _destroy_ New York City, but rather make its inhabitants part of their own living hell," Thor explained.

"So that would be a ten on that scale…?" Tony asked.

Pepper narrowed her eyes, "Get a taxi and hurry back."

Tony chuckled, "I think I can get there a little faster."

He hung up the phone and an uncomfortable silence weighed on the group. The idea of an army that was worse than the Chitauri wasn't something they easily comprehended. The questions were swirling in Steve's head, but he knew better than to ask Thor before everyone was present. While Thor might have been a little lost in the world of technology, he knew more than Steve did about war and strategy.

Within a few seconds, there was a tap on the window. Thor immediately felt Mjolnir's presence in his hand and stood from the conference table to defend his friends from the threat of the Shadow Ones. When his eyes met the glow of Stark's iron suit, Thor relaxed and sat down, dropping Mjolnir to the floor and they waited for Tony to fly to the balcony and walk in.

When he did, he sat down at the table, confused as to why everybody was so down and tense about this new threat. "So…what's going on..?" Tony hesitantly asked.

Thor tried to smile as he stood up, but it was hard for him to feel any kind of happiness—even among his friends. "Well, my friends, I'm afraid that there is nothing good that I could say about the Shadow Ones. Their kind is one that even the strengthened warriors of Asgard tremble with fear at the mere mention of their name," he explained. As if the group needed a reminder—they all knew what a fierce warrior Lady Sif was, and to see her trembling with fear wasn't something they needed to be reminded of.

"What exactly do they _do_?" Natasha asked him.

Thor grimaced, "They are called the Shadow Ones for a reason, my friends. They slither in the darkness, attacking you in your worst fears. They cloud your mind, turning your reality into your worst fear. Training against them is purely of the mind—once you can block them out you can easily win the physical fight."

The group all nodded, but Thor could tell that none of them knew how they were to fight this new threat. He knew what would have to be done—and he would have to go back to Asgard to retrieve the proper instructors for the task ahead. Thor immediately started planning out who he would seek out to help them and how he would get them to Stark Tower when Clint interrupted his thoughts.

"So what happened to your friend? What was her personal hell?"

Thor sighed, he knew Sif well enough that he could envision her hell without her even having to tell him. "As a child, Loki often tricked the two of us, trapping us in caves and other places and leaving us to our own devices of escape. But once, he trapped us separate, leaving her in the darkness alone. She started to scream and kept screaming until I came to her hours later. When I found her, she had cradled herself against a side of the cave, she had been lying there for hours, envisioning all the ways the people she loved would abandon her."

He paused again, "Being alone, abandoned by the people she loved, _that_ is Sif's worst fear."

Banner took off his glasses, looking up from his notes, "I think it's important that we all know what hell we should expect from each other, just in case this goes south." The others agreed with him and started talking excitedly.

"Stop now," Thor calmed them. "This isn't something we should discuss right now, we will have plenty of time when I get the training materials we need from Asgard. It's unlikely that the Ones Who Wait In Shadow followed us to Midgard, so we are safe for a little bit longer."

"Are you saying that because we really don't need to know, or because you're afraid of your own phobia?" Stark challenged.

"Thor is right," Director Fury interjected. "It's not important for now."

Thor rubbed the bridge of his nose, with Sif's attack so recent, he wasn't really prepared to discuss his phobias and the dangers of his own mind. "My friends, I must return to Asgard to find someone to train us in the matters of the mind," Thor explained.

"Can't you train us, Long Beard?" Stark asked.

Thor just shook his head, "You must understand, the Shadow Ones are an ancient and evil power that even Asgard has almost forgot." He strained his 'modern' training, trying to find something that he could relate it to so his friends understood, "Like your dead language, Latin. Only few can speak it because it is an ancient art and it is almost forgotten… Do you understand, my friends?"

He looked around the room, seeing the nods of his comrades. "I will return to Asgard, find someone who can teach us properly, then bring them back here so we can train."

"Why can't you be trained on Asgard?" Director Fury asked. "Wouldn't that be easier than all the travelling between realms?"

Thor shook his head, "I'm afraid if we were to start training on Asgard—where the Shadow Ones already wait—it would alert them that we are ready for attack. We must train in secret and then use the element of surprise to defeat them."

He dismissed his friends and sat down in a seat, trying to decide if there was any way around what he needed to do. Natasha kept her seat, waving Clint on and saying she would catch up with him later. She sat in silence with Thor for a few minutes, waiting for the room to clear out and for him to collect his thoughts. When he didn't speak, she cleared her throat, "So who are you thinking of for a trainer?"

Thor had to suppress his smile; he knew exactly what Natasha was going to say when he told her the name, so he just smiled instead of saying anything.

"You can't be serious," Natasha said. "Fury will never allow that."

"He is the most gifted at the trade in all the nine realms. Even as a child, he had an unnatural gift at delaying the Shadow Ones," Thor explained. "Of course, he will no doubt want to exchange years of his sentence for helping us, but…"

Natasha shook her head, "There's no possible way we can defeat them _without_ his help?"

Thor shook his head, "Loki is our best chance."


	4. Plan of Action

"No, absolutely not!" Nick Fury shouted in his office. "There is no way that I'm negotiating _anything_ with that piece of shit! Even if it _was_ my call!"

Thor just let the man ramble; he had come to Fury, alone, as a sign of respect, he had no intention of letting Fury ruin his plans—he was going to Loki regardless—but he did want to give the Director a heads up because of Loki's importance with the Midgardian world. But he was right, releasing Loki temporarily or negotiating years of his sentence was not Fury's call, but Odin's. Thor wasn't entirely sure that the AllFather would be willing to let Loki train the Avengers, but he for sure wasn't going to let Fury stop him from asking Odin.

"You are right, it is not your call and your decision will not stop me from what I think is best. Midgard is my responsibility to protect from the troubles of the nine realms, from enemies that you are unaware exist. I came to you out of respect, but know that I will do what I deem right."

Fury nodded, "I understand, but what exactly do you think the King of Asgard will have to say about this?"

Thor shrugged, "I do not know, the AllFather will either respect my love of Midgard or assess that Loki is too dangerous to let go. It is not my place to guess his ruling, but the AllFather knows the importance of the threat of the Shadow Ones and that Asgardian warriors cannot possibly handle them."

"Do we even know how many of them there are?" Fury asked.

"I do not, but the AllFather will be able to acquire the information for us."

Fury rubbed his temples, "I'm not even sure sending the Avengers after these guys is a good idea, Thor. You said the Shadow People would not follow us to Earth, so why should I think we should be gearing up to protect Earth if they don't even know we exist here?"

Thor rose from his seat, slightly annoyed with Fury's inability to connect the dots, "If we do not stop them before they conquer Asgard, they will have access to the portal to every realm and every world you can think of. They will conquer the universe if we do not stop them."

He picked up Mjolnir, "Now I am going back to Asgard to persuade the AllFather to allow Loki to train myself to fight the Ones Who Wait. If the rest of my comrades want to be trained and join the fight, then I will bring him here, if they do not, I will train on Asgard and take them on myself."

Thor turned to leave the office, "I will do my duty as a warrior of the nine realms, but I cannot possibly handle them by myself."

"So you want to send my group to certain death?" Fury asked.

Thor's eyes narrowed, "I would not ask this of my friends if I did not think they could do it. I hope you make the right decision, Director. I leave at sunrise tomorrow."

* * *

Thor looked at the clock again and saw that it was nearing 2 AM. He knew he should sleep, but all he could do was turn his worries over in his mind, wondering what he was going to do if Odin denied him access to Loki. While Fury's cooperation was optional, Odin's was not; Odin was the only person who knew where Loki was in the realms, and there was no way to find out if Odin did not give him the information.

There was no one else in the nine realms who knew Loki's location and Thor was sure that even those who knew his location would not be helpful in freeing Loki, no matter how temporarily.

He sat up from his bed and clicked on the lamp that was sitting on the nightstand, holding his hand out for Mjolnir. It flew to his hands instantly, casually—something he was no stranger to on the battlefield. He searched through the memories, the many trials and tribulations he had underwent to obtain the hammer from Odin. His hands traced the ancient Asgardian markings and symbols on the hammer and its handle.

When Thor was first born, Odin had the hammer forged by dwarves, and kept it from him until he was deemed worthy to carry the mighty hammer. Thor smiled, remembering the day his father had finally gifted it to him as a young man—how the kingdom had wept with the joy of their future king being united with his weapon.

He turned the hammer in his hands and looked around his room in Stark Tower, noting that it was probably the plainest room in the entire building. Stark had wanted to keep the bedrooms simple for both Thor and Steve, so it had little to no electricity and easy to read instructions on everything that _did_ run on electricity. Using these instructions, Thor had learned how to set an alarm clock and make a pot of coffee.

He looked down at the hammer, again, running his hands over the markings and feeling the response of energy from where his hands touched the metal. Time was moving slowly and he could only sit and stare at the clock, waiting for the threat. Tick, tock, tick, tock, on and on the clock moved, and Thor's heart dropped further with every second. Doubt creeped into his mind, and all he could think of was what would come to pass if he failed.

The word came to his mind again; failure. What would he do if he were to fail? Mjolnir dropped from his hands to the floor, and Thor felt as if his hopes were dropping too. If Fury did not allow the other Avengers to fight with him, or if Odin kept Loki's location a secret, or even if Loki did not wish to help…they would be doomed.

There was a light knock at his door; Mjolnir flew to his hands instantly, without thought or even command, empowering him to kill whatever threat was near. All reason, logic, and concern flew from his mind; all he could think about was the immediate danger and destroying it. He stood, poised with Mjolnir and ready, but when the visitor knocked a second time, logic returned to Thor's mind. The Ones Who Wait would not knock before they attacked; whoever was there was a friend, not a foe.

He set down the hammer and walked to the door, opening it to reveal Steve in his sleepwear. Steve nodded to Thor and entered the room. Thor sat back on the bed and invited Steve to sit as his desk, "What brings you at this late hour, my friend?"

"I overheard your conversation with Fury today," Steve told him.

Thor chuckled, "And have you also come to tell me what a hindrance Loki will be?"

"No," Steve answered. "I've come to enlist."

Thor chuckled again, Steve was always the soldier. Thor's modern lessons from Stark had struck a taste for the war histories of Midgard—he was always fascinated with the lack of warriors Midgard seemed to have, volunteering for war wasn't a problem Asgardians had.

"You have heard the risks. Are you sure it's something you want to pursue?"

Steve nodded, "If Loki's the best, then bring him on to help us, but I want to know what we're up against first. I think it would be best if a couple of us researched everything we know about these Shadow-Things."

Thor narrowed his eyes at his friend, "You want to go to a different realm to research them?"

Steve nodded, "You're the only one in this group with any background information on these people, and we want to be prepared."

Thor cocked an eyebrow at his friend, "And what do you mean by 'we'?"

Steve grinned, "You didn't think the rest of them would want to miss out, right? New York was a long time ago, we're almost bored. Besides, these Shadow Guys are a threat, and that's our jobs, right? Extra-terrestrial threats?"

"That's true," Thor agreed. "But I'm not sure you understand the weight of what you want to sign on with, but if Fury will allow it, I will take one of you back to Asgard with me for research."

"I don't care if Fury agrees or not," Steve snapped. "I understand authority, but I think that keeping us from helping you is wrong."

"If that is what you want," Thor replied, "Get some sleep because we depart at dawn."

* * *

When dawn finally started breaking, Thor opened his weary eyes, aware that he had not slept more than twenty minutes at a time all night. He knew he would be able to sleep once they returned to Asgard, but he knew he would not be right again until he spoke to his father.

Throughout Thor's childhood, Odin always had the answers. Whether it was bullies, Loki's tricks, or women, Odin was the person everyone in the kingdom came to. Just as brave as he was wise, Thor knew that Odin would possess the solution to the war on hand.

He dressed in his plain Midgard clothes and set out for Fury's office, Mjolnir in hand. He wanted to get the Director's opinion on bringing Loki back to Earth—it was best for the defense against the enemy, but Thor wasn't quite sure if Fury would budge.

Nevertheless, he walked into the Director's office, head held high. Fury was already sitting at the desk, files and coffee in hand.

He raised his eyebrow and Thor's entrance, but he didn't say anything when Thor stopped at the door, so Thor just stood at the entrance and waited for the Director to say something. Fury shuffled a few papers and took another sip of coffee before looking at Thor and motioning for him to come in.

Thor shook his head, "Sorry, Director, but I'm in a bit of a hurry."

"Alright then," Fury said. "I spent all night talking to the councilmen and women, discussing my own thoughts, and consulting every resource I can find. The problem is there isn't anything on this planet discussing your Shadow People."

Thor nodded, "I know this. Captain Rogers has suggested going to the other realms to find information to bring back—if you wish for the other Avengers to help."

"I know."

The statement hung in the air for a few minutes, as if Fury was deciding which direction to take the conversation. He finally met Thor's eyes and set down his hands on the desk, "I have decided that Captain Rogers and Mr. Stark should go with you," Fury declared. "Once we have more information on these people, bring it back here and I will make another decision if the Avengers should be allowed to fight against this enemy."

Thor narrowed his eyes, "Why Rogers and Stark?"

"Rogers, if you have noticed, is very agreeable, very respectful, and has an unique military perspective on pretty much everything," Fury explained. "He would not offend your friends and family, and would provide a very different take on these shadow people. Stark, on the other hand," Fury grinned, "is almost a genius, and he will be able to retain information that you and I might think isn't worthy."

Thor smiled, "Thank you, Director." He walked from the Director's office back to his room where he found Stark and Steve waiting for him.

"You're lucky Fury gave me enough time to pack my bags," Tony said. "Otherwise I wouldn't have agreed to come."

Thor chuckled, "Our first stop is Asgard."

Steve nodded at the news—he had figured as much—but Tony cocked an eyebrow, "I thought we were researching these shadows."

Thor nodded, "We are, but I want to find someone who can train us first, just in case we don't find anything."

"Do you have someone in mind?" Tony asked as they walked downstairs to where a taxi waited. Instead of flying, they were all still being cautious while in the city, mainly because the US Government was still trying to decrypt Thor's message from Asgard.

Thor nodded again, getting into the taxi.

"Mind telling us who it is?" Tony asked, starting to get aggravated.

"My friend, forgive me when I say this, but I want to release Loki to help us," Thor said as the three of them sat in the back of the taxi, rather uncomfortably.

Tony looked at Thor, then to Steve, then back to Thor. "You're joking, right?" Thor and Steve both shook their heads. "The most hated person in the cosmos, realms, whatever, the sole reason we are all on the same alien-fighting team, and you want to _free_ him for an enemy that we know nothing about?"

Thor nodded.

Tony threw up his hands in the taxi, "I strongly oppose this. In fact, I'm contemplating turning around and going back to Stark Tower right now. This is insane, ridiculous," Tony kept rambling, getting angrier the more he spoke.

"My iron friend," Thor interrupted, "I can understand if you do not wish to go with us because of Loki's involvement, but trust me when I say that he is our best chance of defeating the Ones Who Wait. Loki—partially because of his Frost-Giant heritage—is one of the most gifted with the Shadows in all the nine realms. No one else will be able to equal him as a tutor."

Tony grumbled to himself, but acted as if he still wanted to go, so Thor let the silence fall over them and began brainstorming how he was going to present his case to Odin. Thor knew that the All-Father's permission was necessary as a first stop, because if he did not grant them permission to free Loki, their research would be used on how to _fight_ the Ones Who Wait instead of background information.

The taxi took them an hour out of the city before Tony checked his GPS and told the cabbie to stop and let them out. The man was shocked, because he was dropping them in the middle of an abandoned field, but when Tony shelled out nearly $200, the man stopped asking questions and started smiling really big. They all exited the cab, each with a backpack or briefcase in hand.

The importance of leaving New York without attracting attention to themselves was crucial so they weren't detected, so they had all dressed relatively normal, with Tony in a business suit and Thor and Steve in jeans and button-down shirts. Thor had come to hate Midgard clothing more than anything, mainly because he had to roll up the sleeves of the shirt so his arms were not as tight against the sleeves. Tony picked up his briefcase and clicked a button, which unlocked the clasp, and inside was his Iron Man suit. Steve had most of the same workings, but his was a little less electrical since he was still getting used to it, and within seconds he had changed into his suit as well. Thor's transformation was more manual, and by the time he had fixed his cape and picked up Mjolnir, the others were rolling their eyes waiting for him.

Thor looked at his group solemnly, almost afraid of the answer he would get, but he asked them, "This is the last chance, friends. If you do not wish to go, I understand and will think no ill of you."

Tony smiled and Steve winked at the demigod before them, clad in his warrior gear. "Do you really think we'd miss it?" Tony asked. "I'm really only on the trip to see how many Asgardians I can piss off before we leave."

Thor rolled his eyes and picked up his hammer—they were off.


	5. Taken

The Ones Who Wait had all of the Asgardian court in an uproar. Their toughest warrior, Lady Sif, had been reduced to a frightened little girl. The physicians who had attended to her, the guards who had been posted around the castles, the warriors, the royals—everyone was frightened at the threat of these ancient intruders.

The only one who had not panicked was Odin, which was to be expected from the king. All he had done was give a speech to those who were in contact with Sif and tell them to calm down, that help was on the way. Frigga knew that Odin did not want to make any moves toward the enemy until he knew what Thor and their warrior group was doing.

In fact, the only person that Odin didn't keep his composure in front of was Frigga, and it was driving her insane and worrying her at the same time. That was the reason she had taken to longer and longer walks in the Asgardian gardens with only her closest ladies to attend to her. She mostly thought about what plan Thor would come up with—because he always came up with one—and whether Odin would accept that plan or come up with a better battle strategy. He had told her this morning at breakfast that they should expect Thor any day and a strategy would be put in place then, so Frigga had started looking for Thor.

It was the reason her usual one-hour walk in the garden had turned into a three-hour walk. She didn't know if it was motherly intuition, or if she could feel the change in the realm that signaled he had come, but she could tell he was close.

Frigga smiled when the garden gate opened to reveal Thor. She turned to run to him, nearly knocking her son down with happiness at having him home so soon. She recognized one of his friends he had brought with him, and made haste of introducing herself to the unfamiliar one. When the proper introductions were made, she sat down on a bench and invited the small party to sit with her, dismissing her servants to the kitchen to prepare a proper feast.

"Now that we are alone, my son, why have you returned to Asgard so soon?" Frigga teased. "We did not expect you for many years. What has gone wrong in Midgard?"

Thor smiled—seeing his mother brightened his mood, "Can you not just be happy at my short return, Mother? Why must something be wrong in order for me to come home?"

Frigga laughed at her son's coyness, "I know why you have returned and so does your father. Sif's experiences spread through court like a burning flame. We have kept it quiet, waiting for you to return with your plan."

"I am afraid the AllFather will not approve of my plan," Thor said, solemnly. Frigga raised her eyebrows, intending for him to continue. "You know the best tutor in all the nine realms for dealing with the Ones Who Wait," Thor explained.

Frigga's mouth opened in shock, and her jaw hung for a few seconds as if she had forgotten how to speak. She crossed her arms, "You know he will never allow for you to visit Loki. I am his mother and even I am not allowed to know his whereabouts."

Tony cringed—this was the bomb they had been waiting for—but Thor did not say anything. In fact, none of them were looking at each other, so Tony spoke up, "Well, ma'am, we don't want to _visit_ Loki, exactly."

Frigga narrowed her eyes, "Then what is it that you want to ask the AllFather?"

Tony looked at Steve before looking back into the Queen's eyes, "We kind of want to free him—temporarily."

Figga nervously laughed, "You cannot be serious." But when none of the boys said anything, she started to consider the possibility that they were completely serious—they intended on freeing Loki. "You know he will never allow for that, Thor. You should be scolded for even suggesting it."

"I'm trying to do my duty as a warrior of Asgard," Thor answered. "That includes protecting Midgard as well as the other realms of the universe. You know that Asgard will not be prepared—there is no time to prepare them—and when the Shadows conquer Asgard, they will not stop until they control everything."

To Steve's amazement, the Queen of Asgard said nothing in response. She just nodded her head and stood up, and Steve guessed that they were supposed to follow her. He sat still until Thor got up, and then proceeded to follow without question. Frigga took them down the halls of the Asgardian palace, saying quirps to servants, sending some to the banquet hall to ready the feast, others to prepare rooms for Thor's friends, and some to check on the status of the dinner. She didn't stop or slow her pace until they reached a set of 14-foot-high doors, layered with intricate paintings of warriors—some that Steve recognized, like Thor, Odin, and Loki, but many more that he didn't recognize.

"He is here, getting ready for a meeting with his generals," Frigga said. "We will have more privacy for the plans you wish to discuss."

She opened the doors, revealing Odin hunched over a desk with a pen in his hand. He was mumbling to himself, but stopped abruptly when he realized the door behind him had open. He tensed, turning and ready for a threat, but seeing that it was Frigga and Thor he relaxed, crossing the room to hug his son.

Steve expected the Royal party to kiss, hug, discuss how the weather was on Midgard—anything—since Thor had been absent, but Odin wasted no time in the matter at hand. "My son, no doubt your mother has told you that I have waited to act because I wanted to discuss your plans first," Odin said.

The group nodded, and Odin studied Steve and Tony. "You have also brought friends with you?"

Tony thrust out his iron-clad hand, "Tony Stark, sir."

Steve put his out, "Captain Steve Rogers, sir."

Odin shook both their hands, beaming with pride that Thor had taught him a Midgardian sign of respect in the handshake. "I assume that you have come with my son to fight the Shadowy Devils?" Odin asked.

The men both nodded and looked to Thor, who smiled and turned to his father, "I have a plan, father. You must bear with me though, for I fear that it is a little too extreme."

Odin just raised his eyebrow, almost in amusement of whatever Thor was going to ask him.

"I feel as if Loki is our best chance at learning how to fight the Ones Who Wait," Thor declared triumphantly.

Odin just chuckled, "I figured what you would ask me, my son."

When Odin finished speaking, the silence hung uncomfortably in the air. Thor and Frigga were both afraid to speak because they were afraid of Odin's refusal. Both Thor and Frigga knew that Odin's cooperation was crucial to the saving of the people of the nine realms. Steve feared it was not his place, so he just folded his hands in his lap, eyes peeled for the slightest movement from Odin or Thor. The silence was extremely uncomfortable for Tony, who feared that by not saying anything, Odin was refusing the request, and while Tony didn't really agree with it, he hated to be refused.

"So is that a no?" Tony asked.

Odin crossed his arms, "I am sorry, my son and his friends, but I have to refuse your offer. While I remember Loki's gift with the Ones Who Wait, I also remember the havoc he caused throughout the realms. Releasing him would cause a panic—one that I'm unable to deal with. He is to stay in his prison and you are to find someone else who can teach you the ways of the dark ones."

"But Father," Thor argued.

"No buts," Odin replied. "I will help you gather information and grant you access to the libraries of all the ancient realms, but Loki is no argument, you must defeat the Shadows without him. That is my final word on the matter."

A servant knocked on the door behind Thor's back, he threw up his hands, angry that the plan had so far failed. Mjolnir pulsed back in his palm, eager to release the built-up anger, but Thor just rolled his eyes. "Enter!" he yelled at the servant, eager to get the meeting over with so he could try to talk some sense into his father.

The servant was a girl, who couldn't have been more than seventeen years old, with long beautiful dark hair and bright violet eyes. Within one glance, Thor felt the gravities of the worlds changing. Just by looking at her, Thor could feel his anger fading with every second that passed. Had this ever happened to him before? He wondered, searching through his memories for anything that had ever calmed him down so quickly.

He was transfixed on her beauty and had never set his sights on a woman of her equal. Was this love at first sight? Thor thought. Having never experienced it himself, he wasn't sure if his heart beating loudly in his chest was an indication. He smiled wide at her, and grinned even bigger when she spoke.

"The feast for the Prince is ready," she announced to the room. "I can take you to your places in the hall." She returned Thor's smile, but it was a sad smile, Steve noticed. It was almost if she was afraid to smile back at the Asgardian prince.

"Very well then," Odin said. "The banquet hall, I presume?"

She shook her head, "No sir, out in the garden. The servants thought you would want your privacy."

"Very strange," Frigga commented, but she did not object and simply followed the girl's lead.

They followed the girl down the halls, Steve noticing that Thor seemed like he was in a daze after the girl and nudged Tony's arm, pointing to him.

Tony whispered, "Good, maybe he'll get over Jane," and dropped the conversation.

Steve was still worried, something seemed…_off_ about the girl. Whether it was her bright eyes or the sad smile she gave to Thor, Steve wasn't sure, but something wasn't quite right about this servant girl. But then again, Steve thought, she was a servant and Thor was the prince. Surely any union between them—regardless of feelings—would not be encouraged, maybe that was why she smiled so sadly at them.

Everyone was silent until they got outside to the garden and even then only Frigga and Odin muttered among themselves. Steve thought he heard a word about the servants bringing out tables and chairs, but he couldn't be sure. He and Tony had started to look around too, trying to find where they were supposed to eat.

And then everything happened at once.

Steve saw something slither from the shadow behind the gate and up the garden wall. It almost looked like a…a person, Steve thought. Its face was very faint, but Steve could make out the eyes and other features. It looked around the garden, almost as if it could see into the souls of each person there—as if it knew what you feared most. Steve just stared into its eyes, unable to move or speak. It started to solidify before them, and within half a second Mjolnir busted through it with force, as if Thor had put all his weight into the throw. Remarkably, the creature split in the middle, smiling when the hammer went through the hole in its middle.

Thor, now defenseless, just stood looking into the eyes of the creature. It smiled again, beckoning him forward with one finger. Thor started to take a step and the girl—silent before—had started to scream uncontrollably. The scream made Thor stop suddenly, as if sense had been brought back into his head. But the creature did not care and suddenly its eyes turned to a light violet, the same as the servant girl, swirling as they took in Thor and his figure.

And then Thor began to scream.

Steve was still stuck to the ground—unable to comprehend the sounds Thor was making. He didn't know a man that strong and that big was capable of that kind of pain. The creature turned to Steve, who could do nothing more than put up his shield, sure that this was the Shadow One that Thor had been trying to protect himself against. Thor continued to scream in agony at the personal hell he was experiencing in his head. With his shield up, Steve started to yell, "Fight it, Thor! It isn't real! Fight!"

But when Steve looked back into the eyes of the creature, the world started to fade out, blurry at the edges. He wondered briefly if the creatures were using some kind of chemical warfare, but he almost laughed at himself—not everyone was a Nazi.

"What is it that you want?" he could hear Odin say.

"Isch baut tou mein hampf," the creature squealed.

Steve raised his head, unaware how he had gotten on the ground, or how his comrades had either. But Thor was lying on the ground next to the servant girl, both Steve thought were unconscious. Stark was lying on the ground next to Tony with his eyes open and mouthing 'stay down' at Steve. Steve nodded and cut his eyes to Odin and Frigga, who were both standing next to the creature.

"Do not take him," Odin warned. "You know not of the type of army we have. You will be very sorry if you try to wage war by taking him."

The creature seemed to smile at Odin…as best that Steve could tell. It just really opened its transparent mouth and showed its teeth, but it hung there for a few seconds before the creature pointed its hand at Thor and the servant girl, raising them up off the ground and snapping its fingers.

Before Steve realized what was going on, the creature, Thor, and the girl were gone.

* * *

Thor opened his eyes, letting them adjust to the dim light. He kept looking around, not sure of where he was or what had happened. He raised his hands and could feel the shackles around his wrists. He pulled his hands up, testing the metal and deciding he could break it if he really needed to, but first he wanted to figure out where he was.

Thor took in where he was, not seeing anything except darkness. He thought he saw a figure in the corner of the room but he couldn't be sure. He closed his eyes again, hoping his pupils dilated enough that he could make out whether the figure was a friend or foe. But while he kept his eyes closed, he listened, remembering from his warrior training that when one sense was down the others would compensate.

And his hearing had compensated for his lack of vision.

Thor could hear crying in one corner of the prison, around ten yards away. Sobbing, actually and Thor was pretty sure that it was a female. Suddenly he was filled with hope that the other person would know what the hell had happened to them and why it was so dark.

"Hello," Thor called, rattling his chains to try to make noise. The crying instantly stopped, and Thor strained his eyes, thinking he saw her head snap up. "Can you hear me?" Thor asked to the girl.

Her chains rattled and Thor thought he could hear her coming closer to him, "Yes," she answered.

"Where are we?" Thor replied nervously, hearing her get closer and closer. He wasn't sure what he was going to do if she tried to attack him. Could he break the chains? Could he injure a woman? His mind raced with the questions, but to his surprise she stopped just a few feet in front of him.

"We are prisoners," the girl answered.

Thor recognized that voice, he was sure of it. He looked up at the girl before him, and was met with the relief of finally being able to see her face in the dim light. But that relief was quickly replaced by horror when he realized who was standing in front of him.

It was the girl from earlier—the servant who had come to fetch them to take them before the Shadow Ones, except that something was different about her. Thor quickly took an inventory. Her hair was the same length and the dark color it had been before, her face had the same features, she was still the same height…

_But her eyes_.

The violet eyes that had beckoned him earlier were gone, replaced by dark green eyes he had only seen while on Midgard. They enchanted him, but in a much different way than her violet eyes had only a short time before. Thor found himself staring at them in a way that he could lose himself if he weren't careful. He felt the same pull from earlier—but it was different, somehow. This pull didn't feel forced and there was no thought in Thor's head to fight the pull from the girl.

And suddenly Thor realized that it didn't much matter where they were or what the girl had to do with them being there. He was there and so was she, and unexpectedly everything was right in the nine realms. He knew a question had been hanging on his lips only a moment before—why they were there, maybe?—but suddenly nothing else mattered. There was only one question that Thor could comprehend at the moment, something that he felt _must_ be asked or he would be forever lost. And it had nothing to do with where they were.

"What is your name?"

The girl smiled and Thor felt himself being pulled in again, even stronger this time. Her smile was more beautiful than any sight Thor had seen in any of the nine realms. Her green eyes sparkled when she smiled—even in the darkness.

"Ariadne."


	6. Cold

A/N: Guys, feel free to leave some reviews, comments, etc. I like knowing what y'all think of everything!

* * *

"What the hell just happened?!" Tony screamed. He was outraged that Odin and Frigga were taking this so calmly. Their son had just been taken prisoner by some transparent Shadow-y bastard and neither of them were even the least bit concerned. When no one answered him, Tony repeated his question a few octaves higher and louder.

Odin cut his eyes back at him, "If you are trying to comment on our lack of concern—save your breath. Thor has been a warrior since birth; he knows how to handle himself as a prisoner. The important thing now is finding a tutor and information on how we can get him back."

He called to some of the guard, "Assemble all the ancients who had access or know something about the Shadow Ones. I want them in the banquet hall before sundown tonight." He turned to Frigga, "We must leave for the Library of Colinga tomorrow; that is where we will discover more about their language."

"What did he say to you?" Steve asked. "'Isch baut tou mein hampf.' What does that mean?"

Odin shrugged, "I do not know. That is why we must venture to Colinga; that is where the important documents have always been kept. If you are not satisfied with the tutors we supply tonight, I am sure we will find some you will approve of at the Library."

"We have a tutor," Steve snapped. He knew he was tiptoeing on dangerous grounds by snapping at the Asgardian king, but he felt as if they had wasted enough time already. On top of that, Thor was a prisoner in an enemy camp because, in Steve's eyes, Odin had failed to act.

"I gave you my final word on that," Odin said, standing up to face Tony and Steve.

"Yeah," Tony replied. "And your way got Thor kidnapped. He told us he didn't think we could win without Loki, and if I'm going to rescue Thor, I damn sure want the best man for the job to teach me. Now grant us access to Loki!"

Frigga turned to her husband, "Please, Odin. It is the best chance of getting Thor back… if we wait too long, you know the consequences."

Odin put his fingers on the bridge of his nose, weighing his desire to get Thor back against the level of mischief that Loki could cause while training the Avengers. Having Frigga going against him did not help either.

Tony took a step towards him, enough that Odin looked up into his eyes, "Sir, if we don't have Thor, we can't defeat the bastards anyway. He's our best chance, and the longer they have him, God only knows what they could be doing to him."

This seemed to open Odin's eyes, because all he could do was wave them off and say, "We shall go to him at once, but I am not even sure that Loki will agree, especially once he knows that Thor was taken."

When Odin left the room, Tony turned to Steve, "But at least we can offer. That beats sitting around."

"Should we tell Fury?" Steve asked.

Tony shook his head, "Not until we have some kind of plan to get him back. Fury will worry like a mother hen if we don't have some type of plan of attack."

* * *

How he longed to feel sunshine on his face, how he longed to feel grass, sand, and water between his toes and under his feet, how he longed to stare at anything all day except for the white interior of his personal prison. Its walls had held him for eight months, two weeks, and three miserable days.

And with every second that passed, Loki found himself wishing more and more for an end, but still the clock beat on, still it rang out the time that was passing. He had taken to writing the days down on a piece of paper they let him have, but the pen was not sharp enough to end it how he wanted to.

He spent many days sitting on his bench, wondering if Odin would ever come to visit him. He had messed up big-time, and he knew that, but Odin was still his father, right? Thor was still his brother, right?

Loki wasn't sure that Thor would ever forgive him, even as strong as their bond had been. But through the whole ordeal, Thor had been there, trying to convince him to come home, trying to help him see the evils of his ways. It had taken a few months of solicitude and the rejection of his brother's love to see it, but Loki had realized the error of his ways.

He had been hearing whispers from the guards about the Ones Who Wait in Shadow returning to the realm, but only whispers. He had smiled at news at first, hoping that Thor and Odin would remember his gift with the creatures and would come to him for help. But they had not. The whispers had turned to rumor, which had turned to fact in the prison, and still they had not come.

The door to his prison opened, revealing another guard who spoke to the two who were posted by the door. Odd, Loki thought. Normally they just stood until their shifts were over, then they'd calmly and quietly leave, sometimes so much that Loki would hardly notice that they'd even left. The guard turned to him, "You have a visitor."

Even more odd, Loki thought. "Send them in," he said to the guard with a touch of sarcasm. It was his first visitor in eight months—why would he refuse?

The guard nodded and turned away to open the door to reveal three people, three people he recognized. Three people who were not here to visit him, but to ask something of him. Loki chuckled when he saw Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, and Odin standing at the doorway of his prison. He had always expected Thor to come to him to visit one day, to tell him some story of the way his life was progressing, but he had never expected these members of the Avengers who had put him away.

"Your situation must be making you very desperate," Loki said with a smile. "Tell me, what has happened in the nine realms to make you come to me for help."

"This is no time for silly games of wit and sarcasm," Odin snapped. "The situation is very grave, indeed."

Stark took a step toward the prison cage and clicked off his mask, "These Shadow Assholes have decided to try to take down Asgard."

Loki shrugged; he had figured as much. "So why are the Midgardian warriors here? Shouldn't this be a problem for Asgardians?"

"We're here because we think that the Shadow things won't just settle with Asgard. When they come; they'll come for us all," Tony commented.

"We need you to train us," Steve said. "Try to help us take them down."

Odin looked in Loki's eyes, "We are prepared to arrange for part of your sentence to be erased if you comply."

Loki smiled, "Aren't you forgetting the most important component of your plea?"

Loki paused, waiting for the party to say something on Thor's whereabouts. When nothing was said, he went on, voice growing louder with every word. "Where is my _dear, elder_ brother to bargain your case? Is he in the back room, waiting for me to refuse so he can talk some sense into me? Or did he just find it _beneath_ him to visit his lowlife childhood playmate?"

To his surprise, none of the men said anything or even looked at him. He looked at all of them, wondering if he had been right. Would Thor really find it beneath him to visit his brother? They weren't _really_ brothers, and Loki knew that, but Thor had always acted as if they were. Why would he abandon him now, when everyone else had?

Maybe Thor had outgrown Loki's tricks.

After a couple minutes, the silence grew too uncomfortable for Loki and he started to panic. "Where is Thor?" he asked the group again. "Why did he not come with you?"

Stark looked at Steve before looking at Odin and then back to Loki. He shifted, nervously, as if he was afraid that what he would say would somehow offend Loki. If Thor had chosen to abandon Loki, it would not upset him, but if something had happened to Thor…

"They took him," Stark finally said.

"'They'?" Loki asked.

Tony sighed, "The Shadow Assholes. They were in Asgard and they took him and some servant girl that had violet eyes. We were stopping here, to see if you'd cooperate, then going to the Library to see what we could find about them."

"Thor said you were the best at dealing with them," Steve explained. "If there was someone better, that's where we'd be."

Loki was still trying to process all the information. "You mean they…_took_ Thor? They paralyzed him?" Odin nodded. "And you want _me_ to help get him back?"

"If you do this," Odin said. "We can let you leave her with us and go straight to the library."

Loki nodded, "I will help you save my brother."

* * *

Thor felt cold. He wasn't sure how long he had been in the cell, but it had been long enough to make him feel cold to the bone.

Thor was a prince and had been seated in the lap of luxury for most of his life, only giving up those luxuries as a warrior. Only very few occasions did Thor ever go to bed hungry or cold, and it had been a long time since one of those occasions.

During the daylight he had gotten to know the layout of the prison chamber he and Ariadne were in. It was one large room, 25 feet by 25 feet, with a window in one corner and a cot opposite it. The cot had one small blanket and a tiny excuse for a pillow and even though it wasn't very comfortable, Thor had made sure Ariadne slept on it every night—it beat the stone floor. There was a small doorway that held a small room with a toilet and sink, which Thor was very thankful for. The room had two windows instead of one, and was very drafty. Their clothes were not made for the cold either—a plain shirt, thin pants that barely fit Thor and overwhelmed Ariadne and a pair of socks and boots—and often left Thor wishing for his warrior clothes of home.

Other than basic conversation, Ariadne had been basically silent. Thor had discovered little about her, only that she was seventeen, had been a princess on her home planet, and that she had left behind a lover. But he had not discovered what planet she was from or who the lover was.

He had been there a few days, locked every minute of the day in the cell with her, and she had already come to trust him. More than once he had caught her looking at him and she was starting to laugh and giggle at the small jokes he made.

Her silence had given him more time than necessary to think about his friends and what they were doing. Had Odin changed his mind about Loki, letting them use him as a tutor? Had they brought Loki to Earth already, to let the Avengers train so they could rescue him? Had they given up hope for Thor?

Thinking often left him with more questions about his situation than answers and after only a few days by themselves, he found himself dying for companionship with Ariadne. Since he couldn't really get her to open up, he started telling her nearly everything about himself: from what planet he had been on, to his adventures in Midgard, even the New York incident.

"So where are your friends?" she had asked the third evening.

He shrugged, "Probably finding a way to save me, I would guess. Only I am ignorant enough to attempt to take on the Ones Who Wait with no training."

Her eyes had stopped twinkling—something he had grown used to seeing whenever he spoke to her. "What is wrong, Ariadne?"

She shrugged, "I wish there were hope for my rescue."

"Why do you say that?"

Ariadne looked into his eyes, "My love once told me he would go through heaven, hell, and all the realms of the worlds to rescue me. But yet I have been a prisoner for years and here I stay. Why would he not come for me if he truly loved me?"

Thor was sad that someone so beautiful had been left behind in a place so cruel. He couldn't even tell her what had happened to the man, because she would not tell him who the lover was or where they were from.

The creatures had largely left them alone, only coming into the cell to feed them twice a day. This gave Thor an abundance of time to try to get to know Ariadne, forget about Jane, and delay the maddening silence.

"Have you ever been in love before?" she asked him the same night before they went to sleep.

Thor sighed from his place on the floor, "Yes, once."

She giggled, "Aren't you going to tell me about it?"

"She was from Midgard and I met her there when I was banished by my father. She helped me become the man I am today," Thor answered. Jane wasn't a subject he was comfortable talking about.

The silence hung between them; it was the first time she had ever inquired something about his life. "What h-h-happened?" she stuttered, teeth chattering at the breeze coming through the window.

Thor chuckled, "I stayed away for her protection and she fell in love with another man." The silence lingered again, but he could still hear her chattering and shivering. "Are you cold?"

"N-n-no," she said, but she just giggled. "Okay, I'm freezing." She paused and Thor just laid silent on the stone floor. "Would it be warmer if you were on the cot? _Just_ to sleep," she reiterated.

Thor smiled to himself, "If that's what you wish. I will not make you uncomfortable."

He heard her roll over on the cot and he took that as his invitation to join her. He stood, coming across the room to join her on the good-sized cot. Thor knew it was big enough for both of them if he had wanted to sleep there, but he had not wanted to give Ariadne any reason to trust him—they were both prisoners together, after all.

He slipped in between the thin blanket next to her and was almost taken aback at how small she was in comparison. Not only her build, but that she was noticeably thin—too thin. It worried Thor a little and he made a mental note to start slipping her more of his meals so that she could put on some weight.

After a few minutes her body temperature started to warm and Thor could feel himself warming a little too. Her breathing slowed, comfortably, and soon Thor could tell that she was sleeping. Sleep beckoned him too, in spite of everything he felt happy, like he was here to protect her, to keep her healthy, to keep her safe.

Right before he fell asleep, he put his arm around her waist, gently letting the first warm comfortable sleep he'd had in days take him over.

* * *

The Library was huge—huger than any library Steve had ever seen. Loki had known exactly what section to head for and had given them the exact location in the library and what books they should take back to the prison with them so he could examine.

He was not allowed to leave the prison, but since Thor was the protector of Midgard and had given the permission for Loki to go, he was allowed to. But no other realm would risk letting Loki loose on the planet, so he had to stay while they went to the Library.

Steve had grown tired of looking at the books, research wasn't his forte, but Tony was thriving in the large library. Once he got his personal computer to translate the books to English, Tony was in business, going through books within minutes and writing down relevant information. He'd go through the information, shouting some of it out so Steve and Odin could hear and remark on it.

Like how the creatures effected _all_ of the senses, so that a person who feared drowning could feel as if they were actually drowning, same as burning to death, or falling from a great height. Tony had commented on all of it, so Steve and Odin had 'ooh'-ed and 'ahhh'-ed at all the appropriate moments.

"Have you found anything about the weird eyes?" Steve asked. It was their third day in the library and Steve was getting tired of being there. He had his orders: go home and let Loki train him, and he wanted to get started as soon as he could. Besides, Thor was a person that he considered a close friend and Thor was being held captive. Steve couldn't ignore that.

"Yeah," Tony answered, walking toward the table Odin and Steve were sitting at to show them the book. "It says that the Shadow Assholes have the crazy eyes, and staring right into them is how they hook you with the phobia stuff. So essentially if you avoid the eyes, you avoid the pain, right? Something I need to talk to Loki about…"

He trailed off, mumbling something to himself before getting back on what he had originally wanted to show them.

"This," he held up the book, "is a picture of a girl that is fabled to be with the Shadow Bastards. Apparently they always keep one around and they send her to the different planets to 'scope out' who the creatures target."

"What do you mean?" Odin asked.

Tony pointed to another sentence in the book, "Remember how Thor kind of latched on to the girl? How he was in a daze over her? That's part of it. Someone there will latch on to the girl, potentially fall in love, and then the creatures will take over, focusing on who ever latched on to the girl."

"What do they need someone for?" Steve asked.

Tony looked down, "The stories go that they need a body to sustain themselves. Essentially to eat. They drain his physical body and his mental state, using it to feed their transparent state."

"How long do we have before they start to drain him?" Steve asked.

Tony shrugged, "I don't know, but it will have to be soon."

"Remember what they said to Odin? What does that mean?" Steve asked.

Tony dived back into the book, turning to another book that Steve guessed discussed language. After a few minutes, the color drained from Tony's face. "Was the phrase _Isch baut tou mein hampf?"_

Odin nodded, "What does it mean?"

"It means, we come to inhabit and destroy."

Steve's eyes grew wide, "They plan to inhabit Thor and God-knows how many other prisoners and destroy the realms with us."


End file.
